Improvement in seed-drills



J'. SELBY.

i i Seed. Dropper. No. 27,390. Patented Mar. 6, 1860.

Unnao STATES ATENT Qrrrcn.

JAMES SELBY, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN si-:En-DRiLLs.

To all whom t't may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs SELBY,Of Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed-Drills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specitication, in Which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of a seed-box and frame of a drill 'embracing my improvements, showing the serrated wheel and the shaft on which it revolves into the discharge-opening in the bottom of the box. Fig. 2 represents a cross-Vertical section of the same, showing the manner in which the seed spouts or linkes are hinged to the box Or frame and operated by the cam-lever. Fig. 3 represents a plan of the under side ot' the seedlgox, showing the discharge-opening therein, and the sliding valve and cam-lever which Operate it to close said Opening. Fig. et represents a perspective view of the serrated tlanged Wheel employed to clear the discharge-opening and l'acilitate thepassageofthegrain through it.

In the figures, A represents the seed-box. The shaft B has its bearings in either end of this box, and is provided with serrated wheels U, which revolve int-o or through the dischargeopenings in the bottom of the seed-box. This shaft is driven by band and pulley and other means ot' gearing. The Wheel O is provided with a series of radial cavities, a., on one side and a fiange, b, on the opposite side. This tlange, which is bevcled on the inside of the wheel, enters into or through the discharge. Opening c, and tends to force the grain toward and into the cavities ofthe w heel which revolves immediately above it. The peculiar form and arrangementet' the cavities in the construction ot' this Wheel adapt it et't'ectually to the purpose of agitat ing, elearing, and facilitating the passage of the grain through the dischargeopenings, as they are of that form which admits ot' constant pressure of the grain against or into them, while at the same time the grain is forcibly discharged through the Opening by the shoulders f'ormed by the back ot' the cavities.

The bottom D ot' the seedbox is arranged and constructed in the usual manner. The slide d is adjusted by means of the thumb-screw c to vary or regulate the size of the discharge- Opening. The sliding valvef is operated by the cam E to close and unclose the discharge- Opening. A horizontal bar, F, parallel with the seed-box, extendi's from one end to the Oth- -er, and is connected at either end to a hinge,

g. secured to the frame H, upon which it turns. The bar is raised and lowered on this hinge by means of the arm K, which is secured to it, and provided with a cam, E, Which Operates the sliding Valve to close and unelose the discharge-opening.

The tluke or seed-spout M is hinged to the bottom of the seed-box or frame of the drill, and as the cam is turned to close and open the discharge-opening the tluke is raised by means of the bar coming in contact with the arm h, which extends out from the fiuke, and when the cam is turned to nnclose the discharge- Opening the fiuke is lowered and held down by means of the arm k, projecting from the bar. Instead of being` arranged in this manner, thel flnke may be swung to the frame in the usual way and arranged to slide backward and forward on the arm l, and be connected to the bar F by any Well-known means that will effect the purpose ot' raising and lowering the flukes when the cam is turned to close and unclose the discharge-openine.

The great advantage ot' closing` the discharge-opening by the same Operation that raises the linkes out of' the ground arises not Only from the economy effected in saving` the grain that is wasted when the discharge-Opening is lett, unclosed after the machine has been thrown out of gear and the tlukes raised, which is often the case from neglect when this is done by an Operation independent Of the same that closes the openings, but also from the certainty there is ot' discharging the seed when the ma` chine is thrown into gear and the flukes lowered into the ground, so that there is no liability of the seed not being supplied and de posited when the machine is in Operation.

Having thus described my improvements in seed-drills, what I claim therein as new, and desire to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The arrangement of the shaft B, serrated Wheel (J, slidef, bar F, and cam-lever E, when the same are used snbstantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

J AMES SELBY.

Attest:

BEnNAan BAILY, S. K. HoPKINs. 

